What Are Positive Psychology Interventions(PPi)?

Positive psychology interventions, or PPIs, are a set of scientific tools and

strategies that focus on increasing happiness, well-being, and positive
cognitions and emotions. (Keyes, 2002).

Existing research shows that over the years, psychologists have focused more
on treatment than on prevention (Bolier, Haverman, 2013). Psychotherapy and
assessments developed and popularized in the past mostly offered solutions to
anomalies like depression, anxiety, stress, panic, and trauma, etc.

There was a little resource available, until the last two decades, on tools that
could flourish and promote individual well-being, even in the absence of any
psychopathological conditions.

Sin and Lyubomirsky (2009) defined PPI as a psychological intervention that

primarily focuses on raising positive feelings, positive thoughts, and positive
behavior. According to Sin and Lyubomirsky, all positive psychology
interventions have two essential components:

1. Focusing on enhancing happiness through positive thoughts and emotions

2. Sustaining the effects for long-term

Studies have suggested that happiness can be achieved and enhanced through
various channels, including sensory awareness, social communication, gratitude
practices, and cognitive reformations. As such, all these factors were clustered
together in practical techniques called the positive psychology interventions
(Parks and Schueller, 2014).

These measures were applied in both clinically distressed and non-distressed

populations, and the results were consistent in both the instances (Bolier, et al.,
2013). By far, the most detailed definition of PPI was proposed by Park and
Biswas-Diener in 2013. According to them, positive psychology interventions
are the ones that:

 Have an existing body of research to support its reliability

 Address one or more constructs of positive psychology
 Are scientifically proven and evidence-based
 Benefit us for a lifetime

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Types Of Positive Psychology Interventions (PPIs)

Positive Psychology Interventions can be divided into seven categories (Park

and Schueller, 2014).

1. Savouring PPIs

Savouring interventions focus on a particular experience and aim to enhance

their effects for maximizing happiness (Peterson, 2006). The core principle of
these interventions is to encourage the person to grab every little aspect of
experience – physical, sensory, emotional, or social (Jon Kabat-Zinn, 2009).

Due to its emphasis on wholesome perception, the savouring PPIs resemble

mindfulness strategies, but they are not entirely alike.

Savouring interventions can be connected to everyday experiences like eating,

smelling, or observing, only with a little more orientation and focus to what we
are consciously attending to (Bryant, Smart, & King, 2005). Savouring PPIs can
be reliably used for treating depression and mood disorders, as they produce
happiness and self-satisfaction (Bryant, 2003).

2. Gratitude Interventions

Steve Maraboli said, “If you want to find happiness, find gratitude” – which is
precisely the target of gratitude-based positive psychology interventions.
Gratitude evokes strong feelings of positivity in the person who gives it and the
person who receives it (Schueller & Parks, 2013)

Gratitude interventions are categorized into two parts:

Self-reflective practices, for example, writing a gratitude journal that we keep to

ourselves and use as a tool for self-expression.

Interactive methods where we actively express our gratitude to others by saying

‘thank you,’ giving small tokens of appreciation, or paying gratitude visits.

No matter what type of practice we follow, gratitude interventions have proven

benefits in increasing happiness and satisfaction (Wood, Froh, & Geraghty,
2010). It is such a powerful emotion, that by merely identifying and naming the
incidents and the people we would like to thank, we can feel more positive and
motivated from the inside (Emmons & McCullough, 2003; Seligman, Steen,
Park, & Peterson, 2005

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3. Kindness Boosters

Kindness is a trait all happy people possess. Studies have shown that happiness
and kindness go hand in hand and complement each other (Aknin, Dunn, and
Norton, 2012).

Positive psychology interventions focusing on compassion can be simple acts

like buying someone a small token of love, volunteering for a noble cause,
donating something, or helping a stranger in need. Kindness reinforces
happiness and positivity.

An example of a related PPI is ‘prosocial spending’. The activity includes

willingly buying something for someone as a gesture of goodwill. It can be
anything like taking your spouse out for a romantic dinner at your favorite
place, giving your child the toy he/she has been asking for, or buying a meal to
the homeless person you see every day at the bus stop.

It is not about how much money you spend. The goal of kindness activities is to
promote happiness through such altruistic and selfless contentment (Howell and
Iyer, 2012).

4. Empathy PPIs

Empathy-oriented PPIs focus on strengthening positive emotions in

interpersonal relationships. Healthy social bonds – both at personal and
professional fronts are essential for happiness and inner peace. (Diener and
Seligman, 2002).

PPIs that promote empathy include activities like self-love meditation and
mindfulness practices, where individuals create positive feelings toward
themselves and others by being more mindfully connected to the present
(Fredrickson, Cohn, and Finkel, 2008).

Empathy-based interventions focus on building relationships through effective

communication, broadened perception, and bridging the gap between self and
others (Davis et al., 2004).

The core principle behind this is to let us understand others’ perspective and
build a strong connection to them. (Hodges, Clark, & Myers, 2011).

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5. Optimistic Interventions

Optimistic interventions create positive outcomes by setting realistic

expectations. An example of an optimistic PPI is the ‘Imagine Yourself’ test
where participants are asked to note down where they see themselves in the
future.

Evidence suggests that although this may seem to be an easy task, non-directed
imagination is a great way for people to understand how positive they are about
themselves and others in life (King, 2001).

Another interesting optimism oriented PPI is the Life Summary technique that
was administered by Seligman, Rashid, and Parks in 2006. This practice
involves assuming that we are happy and prosperous in our lives and writing a
summary of our lives based on that assumption.

The review focuses on our strengths, our achievements, and all the fruitful
aspects of our lives so far. The method works exceptionally well in gaining
insight into where we are going wrong in our daily lives and what we can do to
pursue the ideal life we want to.

6. Strength-Building Measures

Strength in positive psychology refers to internal capacities and values (Parks

and Biswas-Diener, 2013).

Studies have illustrated that awareness and acknowledgment of power help in

reducing symptoms of depression and increases self-contentment (Seligman et
al., 2005). As the famous saying goes, “It is within yourself that you will find
the strength you need,” strength-based PPIs convey a similar message.

They are what psychologists refer to as ‘practical wisdom’ (Schwartz and

Sharpe, 2005) and help us use our vitality wisely.

7. Meaning Oriented PPIs

This category of PPIs helps in understanding what is meaningful to us in life

and why, and what we can do to achieve the things that matter in life. A person
who has clarity of goals and expectations is more likely to feel happier and
content (Steger, Kashdan, & Oishi, 2008; Steger, Oishi, & Kashdan, 2009).

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If we follow Abraham Maslow’s Theory of Need Hierarchy, the highest level of
human needs include self-enhancement and self-esteem, both of which are
intertwined with finding the true meaning of life.

Meaning-oriented PPIs include activities like finding meaning in our daily

activities, setting realistic goals and employing effective means to achieve them,
or just reflecting on our thoughts and emotions (Grant, 2008).

Meaning-oriented PPIs are widely used for treating stress disorders, especially
PTSD, where a person needs guidance to find the lost happiness in life and cope
with the after-effects of a disaster (Folkman and Moskowitz, 2000).

How Do They Work?

Unlike general psychology interventions that target to bring about a change at a

cognitive or affective level, PPIs are directed towards improving on what is
already there inside us.

Today, these interventions are being widely used in fields such as mindfulness,
life coaching, relationship counseling, and general psychotherapy as well. The
reason why many therapists are replacing their traditional methods with positive
psychology intervention and therapies is their investigative quality.

PPIs never rely on symptomatic treatment or a quick relief. Whether treating a

psychopathological condition or guiding someone to improve their well-being,
PPIs target to dig into the root cause of the trouble. Not only that, but it also lets
the individual realize the source of his/her problems and enlighten them to
embody the changes wholeheartedly.

There are overwhelming pieces of evidence and research findings that suggest
the effectiveness and efficacy of positive psychology interventions. However,
why they work so well, and how their effects are so deep-rooted is still a vast
area of study.

A study conducted on the role of time focus and the effectiveness of PPIs
revealed that the two operating factors that contribute to the success of these
interventions are – a shift of attention from negative to positive and
internalization of positive emotions.

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The study was conducted on a sample size of 695, and each of the participants
was assigned to either an experimental group or a controlled group. Results
showed that subjective feelings of well-being significantly improved from pre-
to post-intervention, indicating the effectiveness of the PPIs in real life
(Wellenzohn, Sara, Proyer, Ruch, Willibald, 2016).

How Effective are They?

Positive psychology encompasses both treatment and prevention.

PPIs can be useful for treating depression, anxiety, and stress disorders
(Seligman, Rashid, Parks, 2006). This fact was validated in a study conducted
on terminally ill adolescent patients. The purpose of the experiment was to
evaluate how positive thinking influenced coping strategies and helped the
patients battle their disease with resilience.

In the study, teenager cancer patients were treated with PPIs and showed
improved coherence and better stress management. The study was a milestone
in the field of positive psychology as besides proving the effectiveness of these
interventions; it also showcased the incredible power adolescents possess when
it comes to dealing with life-threatening situations or critical health conditions.

Fordyce’s 14 Fundamentals of Happiness

The effectiveness of positive psychology interventions was also proved by

Michael Fordyce (1977, 1983) whose study found that some students in a
happiness program derived more happiness because of the fourteen
fundamentals of happiness psychology.

Fordyce’s fourteen fundamentals include:

1. Being more active and busy

2. Spending more time socializing
3. Being productive at work
4. Being more organized and well-planned
5. Reducing worries and negative contemplations
6. Fewer expectations, and having more realistic ones
7. Practicing positivity through optimistic thinking and reasoning
8. Getting more focused and mindfully aware of the present
9. Developing and maintaining a healthy personality
10.Becoming more empathetic

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 11.Being ourselves at all times
12.Replacing negative thoughts with positive ones
13.Valuing close relationships
14.Thinking about enhancing our happiness

Fordyce’s findings suggested that PPIs improve our state of well-being

permanently by impacting these fourteen fundamental factors of happiness.

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